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Monday, May 7, 2012

Hello Monday! Hello Thief!

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FW Acrylic Ink on Paper, Kellee Wynne Conrad

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FW Acrylic Ink on paper, Kellee Wynne Conrad

By now you must have heard that nothing under the sun is new. We take from what we know, have seen and heard, and all that has seeped into our subconscious and turn it into what we call “original.” We creative types especially suffer from stealing from one another without even realizing it. I don’t think I have said anything new in the five years I have been writing this blog. In fact, I may have begun to repeat myself. But I know one thing: whatever I have managed to soak in and spit back out, I’m doing it on my own terms and in my own voice with the intent to connect with you and hopefully share a little bit of something wonderful about life in the process.

Also, I’ll admit, I’m stealing a bit from the “Original Thief,” Austin Kleon, who wrote the book Steal Like an Artist. It’s simple, but powerful enough to help anyone make their next creative step. Come to think of it, this isn’t the first time I have “stolen” from him. Remember when I wrote THIS blog post when I decided I would just “fake it until I make it?” Yep, saw it first in Austin’s book. Also, of the ten ways shared in the book about being creative, I would like to point out number two: “Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.” I’d probably die waiting, so I am grateful for this reminder. It's a great book and I think you should pick up a copy for yourself so you can get going on following your dreams already!

Yes, today I am stealing! Not just from Mr. Kleon himself, but from my four year old son. I told you nothing is original and the two experimental paintings I am sharing today are the result of watching my boy play with the paint and let it drip all over his paper. But I’ll be honest I think his original turned out better than my stolen ideas! Ha! Hope you have a Happy Monday and go steal some ideas of your own….you never know where they will come from next!